Programming Changes Come To Midday

As you may recall, NPR announced in March that Talk of the Nation will cease production at the end of this month.

As the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens. At NHPR, we have taken this opportunity to take a look at our entire weekday lineup, and challenged ourselves with some important questions. Which programs should we consider as possible additions to our schedule? Are we scheduling the right programs—at the right times—to provide our listeners with the best possible soundtrack to their weekdays?

After weighing various options, we have decided to feature Here and Now from Noon - 2:00 p.m. effective Monday, July 1. Jeremy Hobson, whom you may remember from his days as host of the Marketplace Morning Report, teams with Robin Young to host Here and Now in its new two-hour format. The expanded Here and Now will serve as an important bridge for listeners between Morning Edition and All Things Considered with continuing coverage of the news of the day, along with timely coverage of live, breaking news events.

With Here and Now moving to Noon, Word of Mouth will shift to a new time—2:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday. We hope you’ll find the flow—from the news magazine-approach of Here and Now, to Virginia Prescott’s insightful interviews with leaders and emerging voices from the worlds of popular culture, technology, and the arts on Word of Mouth, to the always engaging conversations on Fresh Air with Terry Gross at 3:00 p.m.—will be the perfect fit for your weekday afternoons.

There’s more good news for listeners who enjoy coverage of science and its impact on our everyday lives. Ira Flatow and Science Friday will continue to be heard Friday afternoons at 2:00! And Radiolab, which has been featured on Fridays at Noon, will continue to be heard Saturday afternoons at 2:00 on NHPR and NHPR.org.

We’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts about our new programming lineup, and how NHPR can provide you with the best possible content in the future. Please don’t hesitate to e-mail me anytime at mrathke@nhpr.org or call me at 603-223-2490.